Years After Sandy NY District Continues Momentum

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has made continuous progress in improving its capabilities before, during, and after disasters.

Recovery was at the heart of disaster response following Sandy and it is often where the Corps is tasked to contribute its resources and expertise.

Over the last five years since the Hurricane Sandy, New York District has completed several projects and began studies and made visible progress across the region with coastal restoration completed at critical areas along the New Jersey and New York shoreline.

“When Congress appropriated $5.3 billion for the Army Corps under the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 (or Public Law 113-2), the New York District received $3-3.5 billion,” said Anthony Ciorra Chief, Coastal Restoration Branch, Army Corps’ New York District.

“Nearly $1 billion has been obligated for restoring existing beaches and projects damaged by the storm and for constructing new projects that were previously authorized. From July 2013 to December 2014 alone, the Corps replaced over 15 million cubic yards of sand to restore beaches,” said Ciorra.

The New York District is conducting preliminary work on projects that had been authorized before Sandy. For example, Port Monmouth, N.J. project specifically includes post-hurricane damage assessment, clean-up and repair.

The project involves the construction of about 7,070 feet of levees, 3,585 feet of floodwalls, 2,640 feet of dune, and beach re-nourishment at 10-year intervals along the Raritan Bay and Sandy Hook Bay in Port Monmouth, New Jersey.

According to the Corps, following Sandy, the New York District has performed its mission of coastal restoration and wrote the chapter on resiliency by restoring miles of shoreline and beach protection projects that Sandy pounded and constructed projects that had been previously authorized.

The Corps has accomplished a great deal in the past five years,” said Ciorra. “However, the mission is not complete. A significant amount of work is still be done since communities remain at risk.”

Ongoing Studies include 10 Feasibility Cost-Sharing Agreement amendments, 2 Design Agreement amendments, and one new Feasibility Cost-Sharing Agreements executed, and five Completed Feasibility Studies with total obligations of $14.6 million to date.

Authorized but Unconstructed Projects include nine Hurricane Sandy Limited Reevaluation Reports approved, seven Project Partnership Agreements executed, 11 construction contracts awarded, seven contracts physically complete with total obligations of $484 million to date.